Wedding Photography – The Free guide to poses, ideas, tips and checklists (INCLUDING MUST HAVE PHOTOS)

Writing a guide learning wedding photography takes a lot of time. I debated about making it a paid “wedding photography for beginners” course. However, I decided that giving away these wedding photography tips and tricks for free was a better choice. What good is it to write a guide to shooting wedding photos and have very few readers because of having to pay?

So please enjoy this massive guide on how to take great wedding photos absolutely FREE of charge!

Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links on this page are affiliate links and Photo Aspects earns a commission if you purchase through those links. We ONLY link to products and services that we've used, recommend and trust.

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A bit about how this how-to guide is laid out –

I thought it best to organize this by corresponding with the wedding day’s timeline. We start with our arrival at the first photography location and move through the entire wedding day. Each section will include a must have wedding photos list that corresponds with that part of the day along with wedding photography ideas and examples to help you visualize the descriptions.

I also decided to write separate articles on what gear to use, how to prepare for the wedding day and post-production because it was simply too overwhelming to put it all into one.

1. Bride & Groom Getting Ready (aka Pre-ceremony)

I arrive at the location where the bride & groom are getting ready. I am already completely prepared for their wedding day. Creative wedding photography starts first & foremost with preparation. Long before their wedding day, I have visited the various sites for preparations, ceremony and reception. I have already created a list of must have wedding photos.

Here is a list of my essential wedding photos during this part of the day:

Bride’s Photos

Bride’s Jewelry

Wedding Ring Photo

Wedding Dress

Make-Up Artist’s Tools

Bride Before Dressed

Bridal Party Hanging Out

Toasts & Champagne

Bridal Shoes

Groom Photos

Groom’s Tux Hanging

Groomsmen Tuxes on Rack

Grooms Cuff Links, Ties

Groom Putting on Coat

Lacing Shoes

Tie or Bowtie

Groom’s Boutonniere

Formals of Groom, Groomsmen, Family

Solo Photos of Groom Dressed

Venue Photos

Photo of empty ceremony setup

More Wedding Ring Photos in venue

Wedding Dress in venue

Big sVenue Shot

Venue sign / Name of Venue

Flowers Set Up

Bride’s Shoes In Venue

Chair Details

Programs, Fans, Special Flowers

Gallery of Wedding Photos Idea

Browse through the gallery below to get ideas for wedding photos from the pre-ceremony part of the day. Photographers have different wedding photography styles. Don’t let the style throw you off, simply look at the wedding photo examples we have here as a guide.

Also remember, moments are more than just a list of wedding photos. When I shoot weddings, I take a great deal of shots that aren’t on a wedding photography checklist. They are moments in history that should be preserved rather than a vanilla list of photos. Do both: Capture the Moments and Create the Art.

The gallery below has several images. Just click one then scroll through them.

Here’s a quick tip about wedding ring pictures.

We take our wedding ring photo twice during the day. We ask for the rings during this early time of the day and take the shots we need. Later, at the reception, we take the wedding ring photos again with some of the details. It is important to give couples a variety to choose from.

Behind the door

The “behind the door” shot is taken when the B&G aren’t seeing one another until she walks down the aisle. This is a great time for them to exchange notes or gifts on the opposite sides of the door, column, or other obstruction. (Don’t let him see her!!!)

2. The Wedding Ceremony

It would be impossible to talk about wedding day photography without mentioning the wedding ceremony photos. If you’re creating a must-take wedding photo checklist then the ceremony is an important place to have particular shots in mind.

Below you’ll find the list of wedding photos to take during the ceremony portion of the day. I have also included examples so that you can get ideas.

Wedding Photos List for the Ceremony

Family members entering

Bridal party entrance

Bride and escort (father)

Groom seeing bride coming down the aisle

Family members faces during ceremony

Shot of bridesmaids lined up

Shot of groomsmen lined up

Elbow shot with flowers (look for bridesmaid’s elbows in the examples below)

Bride and Groom facing one another

Celebrant speaking

Any special readers, singers, musicians

Communion or sand ceremonies or etc.

First kiss

Bride and groom exiting

Bridal party exit

Family exiting

Click one of the images below and scroll through a gallery of must-have wedding ceremony images.

The Money Shot

I call this the money shot. It is a shot I always take at every wedding. Any must have wedding photo list isn’t complete without this shot. It is the groom seeing the bride when she walks down the aisle. Focus on the groom’s face and shoot right between the bride and her escort.

Elbow Shot

I name this the “elbow shot” and it is one of the wedding photos to take at each and every wedding (if possible) In most church weddings, this will be a harder shot to get. At outdoor weddings, where you can walk around more, it is much easier.

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Ceremony %22must take wedding photos list%22

Take a loot at the gallery on the left to see some examples from our ceremony wedding photos checklist. There are some we always take and others just happen.

When you look at the examples, we already know this is not an exhaustive selection of what photos to take. It is just a bit of inspiration to get you thinking about shooting your own weddings and creating your own wedding photos list.

3. Bride & Groom

When looking for unique wedding photo ideas, don’t overlook the importance of creating epic photography with traditional portraiture for the B&G. What do I mean? Not every moment is candid or happens naturally. However, your wedding clients will expect that you get the epic shots of just the two of them.

We set up this time of the day. Just after the ceremony, we ask the bride and groom to come with us rather than speaking with their guests. They have a wedding “glow” about them and it is the perfect time to get some really great couple’s portraits.

Click one of the images below and scroll through the gallery of bride and groom pictures.

Looking - Smiling

I call this shot “Looking Smiling” because the couple is looking strait into the camera and smiling. Remember, parents are often the ones paying for wedding photography. They want at least ONE photo of the bride and groom looking and smiling into the camera.

They want to put it into an 8×10 frame on their mantle at home. We always take several of these and we tell the bride and groom that their parents will want them. Put “Looking Smiling” on your wedding photo checklist.

4. Family Portraits

Don’t let family portraits scare you. Sure, they’re just about the hardest part of a wedding, but if you do these right, you’ll have lots of people singing your praises.

Remember, family portraits are very, very important. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard back from families about these images. A wedding just might be the last event an elderly family member attends. I have had the brother of a bride pass away unexpectedly and she thanks us often for the images we captured.

Don’t let these turn out bad. They are an extremely important part of the day. If you’re asking what wedding photos to take, these are some of the highest priority.

Here are our suggestions for how to structure the family portrait section of the wedding photography.

Groom’s side of the family (Large extended family)

Groom’s grandparents

Groom’s immediate family

Groom’s siblings

Groom’s parents

Bride’s side of the family (Large extended family)

Bride’s grandparents

Bride’s immediate family

Bride’s siblings

Bride’s parents

Why shoot for the bride’s family second? Because you want to make sure to give the bride’s family the final word on what images they want.

Family Portraits

Without family portraits, no wedding photos list would be complete. Family portraits is one of the most important parts of the day. One way that we organize this time is to shoot for the biggest groups first. After the biggest group, we ask those guests to enjoy the cocktail hour and we shoot for ever-smaller groups until we get to the immediate family.

There are lots of images in the gallery below. Click one and then scroll through them.

5. Wedding Photos – Ideas for The Bridal Party

As you look for bridal party photo ideas remember that the attendants of the bride & groom are the closest friends and family that person has. So it stands to reason that your wedding party photos need to be awesome. You want to treat them with the utmost respect while having a great time. These are their best friends!! Their sisters and brothers!!

Click one of the below images to open a gallery of wedding party pictures.

Wedding Party Photo Ideas

It is important to take the formal wedding party photo, but also to have fun with them. This group of people is made up of their best friends and family. They do want the traditional portrait, but they also want something they can share on their social media.

6. Wedding Reception Photography

By this point you are mostly shooting candid wedding photography because the formals are over. There will be a few more choreographed shots but really you’re just a fly on the wall capturing moments.

The First Dance as a Married Couple

The first dance is a very important event and your wedding reception photos need to have great images from this part of the day.

Click on one of the photos below and scroll through the rest. There are LOTS of photos in the reception gallery.

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10 Comments

Melinda Glenn
on May 20, 2016 at 5:16 pm

I am an amateur photographer who shoots for mainly friends and family. I’m shooting a wedding this weekend. This is the most helpful article I have come across.Your images are beautiful! Thank you for sharing!!

I want to get into wedding photography after my course is done. This page is really helpful with poses and creative ideas for wedding photography. I can totally see the results of the tips used in these photographs. Thank you for sharing such insightful tips with us.

My sister-in-law is the wedding photographer and I am her second shooter. Are there any tips you can give me for being the best second shooter and what you would expect from my position?
on May 19, 2017 at 12:04 pm

My sister-in-law is the wedding photographer and I am her second shooter. Are there any tips you can give me for being the best second shooter and what you would expect from my position?

Brandy – For second shooters I generally have them shoot as creatively as possible for details and candids. What I wouldn’t want are two angles from a photo I am already taking. Thus, if I am taking something, I don’t want the second shooter taking that same shot or pose over my shoulder. Make sense?

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